


Hello Again, Little Rabbit

by WigletsMom



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Curse Breaking, Da Vinci Code elements, Dark, Dark Reylo, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forced Orgasm, Halloween, Horror, Kidnapping, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Kylo Ren is a Mess, Kylo wants to be human again, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, Non-Consensual Oral Sex, Or does he, Orgasm Delay/Denial, POV First Person, Porn With Plot, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rey (Star Wars) is a Mess, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey is a Kenobi (Star Wars), Reylo - Freeform, Sexual Coercion, Shameless Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Vampire Bites, Vampire Kylo Ren, Vampire Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:40:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WigletsMom/pseuds/WigletsMom
Summary: It’s him. I know it without seeing his face. How did he get into my house? My head is tilted to the side and a voice whispers in my ear, “Hello again, little rabbit.”A vampire follows Rey home from work on Halloween after discovering that she is immune to his compulsion.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 61
Kudos: 298





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to save this for Halloween but I have no self control. This is going to be a lot darker than my other stories and will contain non-con. Please read the tags and proceed with caution.

October 31, 2020

4:55 PM

It’s five minutes before closing and I hear the little chime over the door as a customer enters. I sigh in frustration. I was hoping to get out of here on time tonight. It’s my first Halloween in my new house and I bought four bags of candy to hand out to Trick-or-Treaters tonight. Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. My lawn is decorated with little plastic tombstones and fake spider webs in all of the trees. I’m dressing up as Lily, my favorite female character from the  _ Empire of Stars _ series. If I get out of here within the next twenty minutes I should still have time to style my hair into the intricate buns she wears before the kids start showing up.

I glance up from the countertop that I had been wiping down and lock eyes with a tall, dark and handsome stranger . . . who isn’t wearing a face mask. I frown as I look him up and down. I can already tell we aren’t going to get along. There’s a sign on the door. How hard can it be? Why is there always some asshole who refuses to put a mask on? And why does he have to be so fucking gorgeous?

“No face mask, no service.” I say firmly, and resume wiping down the countertop. 

I’ve been working at  _ Mama Leia’s Bakery _ for almost a year now. Most of my employment has been through the pandemic. Leia was able to keep the doors open, despite the significant dropoff in business. Luckily, a lot of local restaurants purchase our desserts and breads. We haven’t had a lot of walk in traffic today, but I did manage to sell a lot of Halloween themed cupcakes.

I went to culinary school and before the world went to shit, I had considered opening my own bakery. I met Leia Organa through one of my school teachers. She offered me a management position so I could see if I really wanted to own my own bakery. So far, I really enjoyed the work. Leia let me design the displays, pick the menu and I even had input on our advertising. I was slowly learning that owning my own bakery was way more than just making cutsie Pinterest worthy cupcakes. 

I realize Mr. No Face Mask hasn’t said anything. I look up and he is standing right in front of me, just arms length away. Jesus. How did he get that close without me noticing? I jolt back a little and cross my arms in front of my chest to make myself look braver than I actually am.

He’s well over six feet tall. I’m not a short woman, but I feel very small next to him. It’s intimidating. Something about this guy screams danger. He’s probably at least a hundred pounds heavier than me. He’s wearing a black trench coat over a tight fitting black t-shirt and jeans and I can tell he’s all muscle underneath. He’s freakishly pale and has long dark wavy hair. 

“Hello, Rey.” His eyes drift from the name tag pinned on my shirt to my cleavage, then slowly up to my eyes. Pervert. I roll my eyes. There’s not much cleavage to stare at, and he’s certainly not the first customer to look.

“You need a face mask if you want to be in here.” I say it firmly and look directly up into his eyes. They are a warm dark brown with little flecks of gold. I would have thought him handsome under different circumstances.

He smiles, waves his hand slowly in front of my face and says, “I don’t need a mask.”

What the fuck is he doing? His eyes glaze over. He must be stoned or drunk. Why are the pretty ones always weirdos? “Yes, you do.” I raise my voice. I’m done playing games with this guy.

He frowns and does the same thing as before, waving his hand. This time, his voice is deeper, “I don’t need a mask.” Something tingles in the pit of my stomach. An uneasiness. Maybe I should just let the face mask thing go? No. No. I shake my head to clear it. 

Ok. This guy is seriously insane. “Look pal, I’m closing shop in two minutes. You need to leave.”

He stares at me for several seconds, a deep wrinkle carved into his forehead. “What are you?” He asks. What a strange question.

“What am I? I’m the manager. And I’m telling you to put on a mask or get out.” I’m done being nice. Why does this crap always happen on my shift? I swear Rose and Kaydel never have this much trouble.

“Are you alone?” He leans forward and tilts his head to the side. He looks like he’s studying me, like I’m a piece of art in a museum. No . . . it’s more like I’m a steak he’s about to eat. I instantly regret letting Rose go home early today. I felt bad for her. She has a toddler and wanted to have time to take him Trick-Or-Treating. Now I’m alone here with a stranger that won’t leave. Has he been watching the store? He obviously knows no one else is here. 

“You need to get the fuck out, right now. I will call the police.” I move toward the telephone by the register.

He lunges forward and grabs my wrist with his icy cold fingers. I freeze in panic, like a scared animal. Oh my God. Please don’t let this guy kill me. I don’t want to die at work. I don’t want to die at all! The lessons from the self defense class I once took have flown out of my head. I suddenly can’t form a single coherent thought.

He smiles now, showing his teeth and a very sharp looking pair of vampire fangs. I let out a terrified little squeak and try to pull my wrist out of his grip. He’s pretty strong and I swear he tightens his grip a little more. I’m going to have finger marks on my arm, I know it. He chuckles and runs his tongue slowly over his fucking teeth. A threat?

He’s gotta be high or something. Jesus, I hope he doesn’t try to bite me. Being mauled by someone wearing plastic fangs was not on today's to-do list. I suddenly remember the pepper spray in my purse. It’s a few feet away, tucked under the counter. If he lets go of my wrist, I can make a run for it. I think I can spray him before he hops over the counter and bites me.

“See you later, little rabbit.” He gives me a wink and lets go of my wrist. I turn, run and grab for my purse. As my fingers close around the pepper spray canister, I look up and see that the creep has left. I run to the door and lock it, flipping the sign on the door to ‘Closed.’ 

My heart is pounding and I want to throw up. I’ve never had a customer be so fucking creepy before. Starting tomorrow I am instituting a policy that no employee is to be working alone in the bakery. And we are definitely getting a security camera. 

I sink to the floor behind the counter for a minute, hugging my knees to my chest and wiping tears off my cheeks. Should I call the police? He didn’t really do anything, just acted creepy and grabbed my wrist. Is that assault? I’ve never seen the guy before and probably won’t again. He’s just a creepy dude in a vampire costume who was probably stoned and on his way to a Halloween party. But those fangs looked pretty damn real. No. No. No. Vampires aren't real. Just a creepy dude. And being creepy isn’t a crime, right? The police probably won’t do anything so I decide not to call.

I think about calling Leia, but I know that she will make me call the police. Plus, I remember she said her son was in town visiting and I don’t want to ruin her weekend. I’ll tell her about everything on Monday. Once my hands stop shaking, I quickly count the cash in the drawer and lock it in the safe in the back room. I sweep the floor and run the mop around and then step out into the back alleyway, locking the door behind me. 

I only live a few blocks away from the bakery and I don’t have a car. I power walk the entire way home, glancing behind me occasionally. The streets are pretty busy, lots of families getting kids ready to go out. I’m pretty sure that nobody would attack me in an open busy street. At least, no sane person would. As I climb the front stairs of my porch, I glance at my watch. Not even five thirty yet. I still have plenty of time to get dressed in my costume. Trick-Or-Treating starts at six in our neighborhood.

I dash upstairs to my room to get changed. I had laid the costume out on my bed this morning in case work ran long and I was in a rush. I quickly peel off my button down shirt and pants. I’m about to grab the white costume dress when I notice my bedroom window is open several inches. The cool fall breeze is gently billowing my curtains. I freeze. I hardly ever open the windows. Did I open it last night? Fuck. Why can’t I remember? I take a few hesitant steps forward, peeking out the window into my yard. Everything looks normal down there, but it’s getting dark and I can’t really tell. I push the window down and flip the little lock. That incident with the creepy guy really got me skittish.

I quickly pull on the costume dress. It’s a silky short white dress with a black belt. I have a giant plastic sword that accompanies it. I dash into the bathroom and twist my hair into two giant buns on either side of my head, stabbing bobby pins haphazardly into them. I’ve never been great at styling my hair. I slap on a coat of dark red lipstick and examine myself in the mirror. I guess I look like Lily from  _ Empire of Stars.  _

The doorbell begins ringing promptly at six o’clock. I am bombarded by lots of little ones in costume. I go through a whole bag of candy in the first thirty minutes. I give an extra handful of candy to an adorable toddler who is also dressed up like Lily, plastic sword and all. It’s really a lot of fun. It makes me wish I was in a serious relationship or even somewhere close to being able to have kids of my own. Maybe someday.

By eight o’clock the Trick-or-Treaters have tapered off. In fact, I think my doorbell hasn’t rung in the last twenty minutes. I peek out the blinds and don’t see anyone else on the street. I guess kids around here finish early. I still have a whole bag of candy left over. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to eat it all by myself. The horror. Turning off my porch light, I wander into the kitchen to dig around in the freezer in search of something to eat. I settle on a frozen pizza and pour myself a large glass of sauvignon blanc, taking a healthy sip while I wait for the oven to heat up. As soon as I pop the pizza in the oven, I start the timer and decide to take down my hair. 

I remove the pins and lay them on the counter and unwind the buns. My hair has a sexy little curl to it now. Too bad nobody else is around to enjoy it. It’s been a lonely couple of months. I guess a lot of single people are in the same boat. Dating during a pandemic is complicated, and sex? Forget about it. 

I had just started dating this nice guy named Poe back in February. When March rolled around and things started locking down we tried the long distance thing. Poe is in the military and isn’t allowed off base. Any time he leaves, he has to quarantine for two weeks. We were OK at first, doing Facetime and texting constantly. Things tapered off and by the end of April, I knew it was over when he hadn’t replied to a text in several days. I stopped reaching out, and so did he. Eight whole months without any action. I wonder how much longer this pandemic is going to last.

I’m just pulling my pizza out of the oven when I hear the doorbell ring. I set the pizza on top of the stove to cool and discard my oven mitts, jogging to the front door. I look around for the bowl of candy. I had turned off the porch light. I thought kids were only supposed to go to houses with a light on. I plaster a smile on my face and open the door. 

There’s nobody on the porch. I take a step out and peek around to make sure some dumb teenagers aren’t hiding in my bushes trying to play a prank. It’s quiet outside. I don’t see anybody. A light breeze sends leaves scattering down my sidewalk. I swear I feel like someone has just run a finger down the back of my neck. I let out a shriek and spin around. Nobody is there. Jesus, I’m jumpy today. I remember the creepy guy’s warning, “See you later, little rabbit.” I quickly hop back inside, locking the door and throwing the deadbolt for extra comfort. 

I grab my pizza and my bottle of wine and set myself up on the couch in the living room. I don’t have to be up early tomorrow. Rose and Kaydel are opening and I have the afternoon shift. Abandoning my glass, I take a swig of wine directly from the bottle. I’m not really in the mood for Netflix tonight so I flip through my DVD collection. For some reason I’m inspired to watch Dracula - the one with Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder. Gary Oldman makes a sexy Dracula. Mmmhmm. Perfect for a chilly Halloween night. I pull a blanket up to my chin and snuggle down into the couch as the movie begins.

The sound of glass breaking startles me awake. I sit up in confusion. The credits are rolling on the TV. I must have fallen asleep. I throw off my blanket and stand up, creeping toward the kitchen. I think the sound came from there. I peek around the corner and see that my wine glass is laying shattered in the middle of the kitchen floor. Odd.

I grab the broom and quietly sweep it up. I’m too tired to wonder how the hell it happened. I guess I must have left it too close to the edge of the counter or something. After cleaning up my pizza and throwing out the empty wine bottle, I turn off the TV and the lights. I’m exhausted and maybe a little drunk. I don’t usually polish off a whole bottle of wine by myself. 

As I stumble into my bedroom, I don’t even bother to turn on the lights. I peel my dress up over my head and discard it on the floor. Stepping into the master bathroom, I turn on the shower. After it heats up, I step into the jets of hot water and stand for several minutes with my eyes closed, letting my tense shoulder muscles relax. 

A pair of arms wrap around me, pulling me back into a rock hard chest. One of his arms is around my waist and the other snakes up so that his hand is covering my mouth. It’s him. I know it without seeing his face. How did he get into my house? My head is tilted to the side and a voice whispers in my ear, “Hello again, little rabbit.”

My fight or flight instinct kicks in and I try to squirm and push and kick. My feet slide on the wet tile but he doesn’t move at all. He’s a total brick wall. I’m going to waste all my energy for nothing. 

He laughs, a deep rumbling. “Oh, little rabbit. It hurts less if you don’t fight me, but it’s more fun if you do.” He runs his tongue up the side of my neck and I try to scream but his hand is muffling the sound. He  _ wants _ me to fight him and I can’t figure out what to do. There’s no good option for me. I’m pretty sure he’s going to kill me either way.

Oh God, please don’t bite me. Please don’t bite me! I claw at his arm, trying to pry it off of my mouth. Would the neighbors even hear me if I scream?

He strikes like a cobra, deadly quick. I’ve been bitten before I even realize what’s happening. The pain radiates down my neck and I feel my knees give out. I collapse against him. His arms easily support me.

I don’t know how long we stand there in the shower, him sucking the life from me, me whimpering into his hand. The water turns lukewarm, then cold. My vision turns spotty and begins to fade. 

Don’t faint. Don’t faint. Don’t--


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it turns out y'all are super horny for vampires. Enjoy Chapter 2. Gentle reminder to read the tags. Non con within.   
> Also, I had a lot of wine while editing this chapter so please forgive any grammatical errors. I am my own editor. :)

Chapter 2

“Wake up, little rabbit.” His words pull me out of the void. I open my eyes. We are on my bed and he’s laying on top of me, pinning me down. He’s propped up on his forearms to avoid completely crushing me. My arms are trapped at my sides, not that they would be any use against him and his freakish strength. We’re both naked and I can feel his erection pressing into my belly. I try to squirm out from under him, but as I suspect it accomplishes nothing. In fact, I think it gets him more excited. 

I wonder why I’m still alive. Maybe he likes to play with his food before eating it. Is that why he keeps calling me  _ Little Rabbit _ ? I notice my skin is dry and my hair is only faintly damp. I wonder how long we’ve been laying here in my bed. I’m fairly certain he didn’t . . .  _ do anything _ . . . to me. I would totally notice that, right? It certainly doesn't feel like I’ve been fucked in my sleep. There’s a throbbing in my head that feels like it’s been run over by a truck but I chalk that up to blood loss and the bottle of wine. The strange thing is that my neck doesn’t hurt. If he bit me, shouldn’t it hurt? He interrupts my internal monologue.

“Tell me how you resisted me.” He says it in a surprisingly gentle way. His eyes bore into mine, searching. I have to look away. He’s exceptionally beautiful. It almost hurts to look into his eyes. 

“I don’t know what you mean.” I whisper. Really, I’m in no position to be combative. My instinct is to cooperate so I don’t get bitten or raped or murdered (or all three of those things). I want to tell him what he wants to know but I really have no idea what he means.

He looks away, clearly irritated but he doesn’t yell or get violent. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet. “When I told you that I didn’t need a face mask, I was using compulsion. No one has ever resisted me before. Tell me how you resisted me.” 

“I didn’t do anything!” I squeak out. He sighs heavily. I don’t think he’s believing me.

“Are you a hunter? A witch? One of my Mother’s minions?” He’s moving now, slithering up so that our faces are aligned. 

“Wha-What?” I’m far too distracted to wonder about the strange things he just said. I know he’s going to bite me again and I don’t want that to happen. “I-I’m nothing. I’m nobody. I didn’t do anything. Please don’t hurt me. I don’t want to die.” I start sobbing. I’m not above begging for my life.

“Oh, sweet little rabbit. Don’t cry. I’m far too fascinated by you to want you dead. You’re a mystery that I shall _ thoroughly  _ enjoy solving.” He plants a kiss at the base of my throat and I shudder. 

Clenching every muscle in my body, I prepare for the pain of his fangs in my neck. Instead of biting, he slides down to my legs and pries them open. My panic increases. No no no. I kick my legs but his firm grip prevents me from getting away from him. I sit up and he pushes me back into the pillows. He runs a finger along my inner thigh. 

“Did you know that the average human adult has almost  _ one hundred thousand _ miles of blood vessels in their body?” His finger drifts closer to my crotch. I start trembling uncontrollably. “Which one do you think is my favorite?” He lowers his face toward my center.

What is he doing? What is he doing?!?

As he licks a stripe up my slit and circles my clitoris with his tongue, I gasp. He chuckles when he discovers that I’m already wet. I’m a terrible person. Why am I turned on by this? I try to convince myself that it’s just my body’s reaction to external stimuli. I can’t control how my body responds. It’s not me. It doesn’t mean I want it. I’m absolutely determined not to have an orgasm. I don’t want him to think I’m enjoying it. Because I’m not. I’m not. Fuck. 

He’s obviously done this a lot in his lifetime. However many hundreds or thousands of years that may be. He has the perfect pacing, knows how to read and respond to every gasp, moan or jerking of my body. He sucks on my clit while pumping a finger into me. I unconsciously clench my muscles around his finger and it only makes him work harder.

“St-stop!” I cry. I swear I had intended to use my hands to push his head away but somehow my fingers are fisted in his hair. It’s not long before I feel a pressure building in my lower abdomen. No! No no no (yes?) no no no. I do not want to have an orgasm. I’m not going to come. But, it’s been so fucking long and I’m lacking the strength to resist anymore. Maybe if I just let it happen he will decide not to kill me. No! Fuck. 

I scream out a hoarse cry as my orgasm ripples through me. And then, he sinks his fangs into my inner thigh. The pleasure and pain at the same time is almost too much to bear. Fuck. I’m going to faint again. My hands go slack and fall to the bed. My face is numb.

I briefly wonder how much blood a person can lose before the body begins to shut down and die from lack of oxygen. Spots form in front of my eyes and I know I’m going under again.

***

Sunlight. I open my eyes and realize I am alone, tucked under the covers of my bed. I lift the cover and peek underneath. I am no longer naked. I’m wearing a red silky sleep shirt that I had purchased on impulse several months before the pandemic. It had been tucked in the back of one of my drawers unused and forgotten. I’m mildly irritated at the thought of him going through my drawers and dressing me. 

A wave of dizziness sweeps over me. I must have sat up too fast. I look over at the clock. 11:00 in the morning. I never sleep this late. 

I wonder how much blood he took? How long does it take to replenish? Should I eat a steak or something with a lot of iron? As I swing my feet over the edge of the bed, I hesitate in lifting the nightgown up. I should see how bad my thigh looks, although it doesn't hurt.

I slide up the gown and am surprised to see that there is no mark on my thigh at all. No puncture wounds, no bruising or scars. I run my hand over my thigh and then run to the mirror in the master bathroom. My neck is also totally fine. Did he . . . heal me somehow? Is that a thing that vampires do? 

It’s daytime, so he’s probably sleeping in his coffin somewhere, right? Then I remember that the sun was still up yesterday when he came into the bakery. I consider Googling but I figure most of the information about vampires online will be utter bullshit. I think I’m on my own here. So the sunlight thing is obviously a lie. I didn’t invite him into my house, so that’s obviously a Hollywood thing too. Garlic? Stake to the heart? A crucifix? 

He asked me if I was a “hunter” or a witch. Maybe I could start researching there. Surely there was valid information out there somewhere. I just had to figure out where to look and what to believe. 

I hop in the shower, this time I only stay in there for three or four minutes. Enough time to shampoo my hair and rinse it. Then I hop out and throw on my work uniform. I stare at my face in the mirror. There are huge dark circles under my eyes, but I can easily cover that up with makeup. Otherwise, I look fine. 

Maybe it was all a really bad dream? I mean, I did drink a whole bottle of wine and had just watched a vampire movie. Maybe my imagination created it all because that stoned guy from the bakery had scared me. Yes, that’s probably what happened. Because I don’t have bite marks and vampires aren’t real. I dreamed it all. And . . . I must have put that nightgown on myself. That makes sense. 

I shriek as my phone rings. Ok, obviously I’m still pretty jumpy. It’s Leia.

“Hey, Leia. What’s up?” My voice starts out a little shaky but I manage to get myself under control.

“Rey, I’m sorry to bother you. I know you aren’t due in until two o clock, but I was wondering if you could make it in a little early? I want to have a quick meeting with the staff and make an announcement.” 

“Sure, that’s no problem. I can be there in about twenty minutes.”

“Great! See you soon.” 

Frowning at my phone, I wonder what Leia’s announcement is about. I hope she’s not closing down the bakery because I don’t have a lot of savings. If I lost my job I could maybe make one or two of the mortgage payments but not much more than that. I really don’t want to be looking for a new job now, in the middle of a pandemic when restaurants are in such bad shape.

I finish putting on my makeup and throw my hair into a messy bun on the top of my head. Heading downstairs, I dash into the kitchen to grab an apple. I step outside into a crisp fall morning. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I plaster a smile on my face and start my walk to work. I sink my teeth into the juicy red flesh of the apple as I walk and think back to the feeling of teeth sinking into my thigh. I shake my head and redirect my thoughts. I’m just polishing off the last bite of apple as the bakery comes into view. I can see Leia through the front widow. A dark haired man is standing with his back to the window. He’s leaning against the counter. Rose and Kaydel are both laughing at something he said.

I put my face mask on and reach for the door. Someone has put up a little sign that says “Closed until 1 PM.” The little chime makes everyone turn to look at me. He turns in slow motion. I swear to God, it’s like a scene from one of those Hollywood movies where the sexy Byronic hero first comes on screen and locks eyes with his lady love. He runs his fingers through his hair as he turns, pushing the dark waves back off his face. One corner of his mouth is curled up into a small smile. Once again, I note his disregard for our face mask policy. It’s him. It’s fucking him from last night. What is he doing here?

For once, I am glad to be wearing the stupid mask. I’m sure it's disguising my look of shock and or terror. There’s a fucking vampire standing five feet away from me. I had almost convinced myself that the whole thing had been in my imagination. Stupid girl. Stupid.

“Rey! I would like for you to meet my son, Benjamin Solo.” Leia pulls down her face mask and flashes a big smile. “Benjamin is back from Europe. He’s been studying with a famous pastry chef in France, and before that he was making bread somewhere in Italy, or was the chocolatier in Germany before that? Anyway, Benjamin, you are going to  _ love _ Rey. She makes these lovely little lemon cream puffs that are _ to die for _ . We always sell out of them by 10 AM.” Leia keeps talking but at this point I stop listening. I don’t think Benjamin is listening either. His eyes are locked onto mine. I shift uncomfortably and look over to Leia, pretending to listen to her chattering.

He’s her son? Of course he fucking is. Does she know what he is? Is she covering for him? Maybe she has no idea at all? Should I tell her? Oh shit, everyone is looking at me. Am I supposed to be talking now? What did Leia just say?

“Is that OK, Rey?” Leia gives me a funny look.

“Sorry Leia, what was the question?” I feel my cheeks get warm. Unprofessional. Focus, Rey.

  
  
“I want Ben to train with you on our closing procedures tonight since he’s going to be taking over the reigns for me in a few weeks.” 

“Taking over?” I mostly whisper it, but everyone hears.

“Yes, it’s time that I moved on. Han just bought this lovely little boat and has convinced me to take a trip around the world with him. I’m not getting any younger, after all, and there’s so much of the world that we haven’t seen yet.”

“That’s a lovely idea. Very romantic.” I give Leia a warm smile. On the inside I’ve gone into panic mode. Leia is leaving. Her son is in charge. He’s a vampire. My new boss is a vampire. My new boss is a fucking vampire that has already bitten me twice! 

Oh yeah, this is going to go really well for me. 

He extends his hand and says, “Hello, Rey. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you. My Mother has told me so much about you.” 

I don’t want to shake his fucking hand but I also don’t want Leia or the girls to get suspicious. In the end, I slowly extend my hand as well. His fingers are warmer than they were yesterday. Makes sense, he’s full of my blood today. Maybe it’s keeping him warm. His hand grips mine longer than is politely appropriate but none of the others seem to notice. Before he lets my hand go, he rubs his thumb lightly over the back of my hand. I shiver and pull away from him.

“Ok ladies, let’s get back to work.” I put on my game face. At least while Leia is here I can pretend to be polite. “Finn is stopping by tomorrow and he is picking up one hundred of our bread bowls, so we need the dough made tonight. I can throw them in the oven tomorrow morning. Kaydel, why don’t you show Mr. Solo our stock room and give him a tour? Rose, I need to speak to you.”

Kaydel loops her arm through Ben’s and leads him to the back of the bakery. I’m fairly certain he won’t try anything while his mother is here. She should be safe. I hope. 

“Alright kids, I must be off. There’s a shocking amount of planning to do when you want to sail around the world. Rey, darling, I expect you to keep tabs on my son and let me know if he misbehaves. He’s been warned.” Leia dashes out.

Rose is standing behind the counter with her arms crossed over her little apron. She is eyeing me suspiciously. “You look really weird.” 

I sigh. “Thanks.” 

“No, I mean it. What’s wrong? Are you upset that Leia is giving her son the company instead of you?” Ouch. It hadn’t even occurred to me to be upset about that yet. I did want it for myself, but I wasn’t going to steal it away from Leia’s son, vampire or not. I mean, I have been here every day doing all the hard work while he was running around Europe, probably leaving a wake of bodies behind him. I wonder how many people he has killed. Am I next? So yeah, maybe I am upset about that a little bit.

“I’m not jealous of the owner’s son. It’s just - he seems - so -” I stop. I don’t know what to say. If I tell Rose that he’s a vampire, it might put her in danger.

“Handsome? Fuckable?” Rose suggests with raised eyebrows.

“Jesus! No. Just leave me alone Rose. I don’t want to talk about it.” What I really would like to do is run home and lock myself in my house and maybe carve a wooden stake just in case I have any more surprise visitors in the night.

“Rey Kenobi, you are behaving very oddly.” Rose accuses. Kaydel and Ben emerge from the back room and hear Rose’s accusation. My eyes drift to Kaydel’s blouse which looks like it has just been hastily buttoned. I shoot Ben a murderous glance and he silently shrugs his shoulders.

“Rose and Kaydel, why don’t you two head home for the day? I think Mr. Solo and I can handle preparing the dough for the bread bowls.” Kaydel looks a little sad to be missing a chance to flirt with Ben but I don’t really care. I need him alone so I can figure out what the hell he’s up to.

A few minutes later the girls have left and as soon as the door closes I turn on Ben with fire in my eyes and venom in my words.

“What kind of game are you playing here? If you touch either of those girls again, I will kill you.” I jam my finger into his chest, trying not to think about the chiseled set of muscles under his tight black shirt.

He ignores me. “So, you’re a Kenobi?” His voice is always so quiet. I almost have to strain to hear it. It’s like he’s trying to draw me in closer. Luring me into his little web.

I take a step back and cross my arms over my chest. “Maybe. What does that matter?”

“Let’s just say that it explains a lot.” He chuckles and then steps forward. I instinctively take a backward step, bumping my ass into the display counter. 

“Relax, little rabbit. I’m not going to taste you here. Anybody could walk in and then I’d be forced to kill them. It would be awkward and messy. I much prefer you naked in your bed, begging me to take you.”

“Over my dead body.” I don’t know why I say that. He probably thinks that’s a challenge.

“I can arrange that.” He whispers in my ear before backing off to head behind the counter. The door chimes and a customer walks in. Ben puts on his most charming facade and manages to talk the woman into buying three dozen cupcakes when she only wanted one. 

As I walk over to the sink to wash my hands, I try to ignore the embarrassing wetness in my panties. I’m not attracted to him. I’m not enjoying the banter and the threats. I’m not enjoying being a vampire’s chew toy. Maybe I enjoyed the orgasm but I can’t really be blamed for that. 

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. His stare is positively predatory. I shiver uncontrollably. I’m going to be dead by the end of the week, I know it. He is not going to stop until he drains every last drop of my blood.

I don’t know if I have the strength to resist him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for comments and Kudos!  
> Please check out my other works
> 
> Completed - Ten Wise Jedi - Agatha Christie Style murder mystery  
> Completed - The Neighborhood - FBI Agents Ben & Rey  
> WIP - Flight #923 - Super creepy story about a plane crash on a tropical island  
> WIP - Valley of the Dead - Historical AU with Egyptologist Ben Solo and a mummy!  
> WIP - You Imagine and Ocean - Pirate Ben Solo


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! We get too see a little of Kylo's back story in this chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

I decide to keep the shop closed for the rest of the afternoon while Ben is here. I can’t risk him using his compulsion on a customer or biting one of them. He wanders over to the back counter and has begun gathering ingredients. So it appears that he actually wants to . . . bake bread? I’m extremely confused by this turn of events. Does he have other goals in mind aside from draining me dry? I openly stare at him for a few minutes, with my hands on my hips. He’s scrutinizing my recipe with a wrinkle in his brow. Grabbing a pen from the jar by the register, he starts writing on my recipe card.

  
“What are you doing?” I rush over to stop him but he holds the recipe card above my head, out of reach. Very mature.

“Improving your recipe. There’s just a little too much flour, not enough salt. You were close though, don’t be embarrassed, Little Rabbit.” 

“Stop calling me that.” I snap, “And nothing is wrong with my recipe. We are not making any changes.” I feel the heat in my cheeks. _ Arrogant asshole _ .

“Trust me,” He says in his whisper-like way, “I’ve been making bread for a very, very long time.”

“How old are you anyway? Like five hundred years old or something?” I say it in a flippant way. There’s no way he’s that old because then Leia would be that old and she seems normal.

He laughs and shakes his head slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

“One thousand?” Again he shakes his head.

“Two thousand?” Chills run up my spine. The older he is, the more intimidating I find him. 

“Somewhere between ten and twelve thousand years old.” 

“That’s not possible.” Right? Were people even around ten thousand years ago? I wish I had paid more attention in school.    
  


“And yet, here I am.” He holds out both his arms and shrugs, as if daring me to challenge him.

“Why are you here? What do you want from me? You mentioned my family name. Why does me being a Kenobi interest you?” I ask hesitantly. If my family is connected somehow to his, then I need to know. Are there vampire Kenobis running around out there somewhere? Maybe I’m not the last one left after all? 

He doesn’t answer right away. Have I asked too many questions? Or upset him somehow? I hold my breath as he steps forward and reaches his hands up to pull the hair tie out of my bun, causing my locks to fall in gentle waves around my shoulders. He runs his fingers through my hair, rearranging it in a manner he finds more pleasing. I try not to flinch or shrink away from his touch but I’m terrified. Not knowing what he wants scares me more than being bitten.

“Much better.” He whispers, almost inaudibly. 

“Ben? Why are you interested in my family?” I probably should have let it go but I can’t help myself. My curiosity might literally be the death of me.

He snarls and something dangerous flashes in his eyes. I can see the points of his fangs now peeking out from under his upper lip. I’ve definitely crossed a line. My heart starts pounding. 

“Because a Kenobi made me what I am.” 

***

How old am I? The truth is, I don’t even know. I was old long before it occurred to me to keep track of such trivial things. Born into an age when people were more concerned with survival than recording their history. Born into a time before writing, before the wheel, before calendars and sophisticated weapons. Born into an age of bleakness and death.

I was called Kylo of Clan Skywalker, the only child to Han of No Tribe and Leia of Clan Skywalker. My Mother was the daughter of the clan leader, Anakin the Great. Our family was known for our healing and magical abilities, and of course for our fighting prowess. My Mother’s twin brother Luke took over the leadership of the tribe after the passing of Anakin the Great. Having no children of his own, Luke named me as the heir to Clan Skywalker. 

Europe then was not like it is now. It was cold and dark and wild. Clan Skywalker had just settled into a territory in what is now southern France. We had been moving slowly across the European continent since my childhood. There was always some reason or another to keep moving - lack of food, lack of shelter, hostile tribes. The planes of southern France were the first place that our clan actually considered for a permanent residence. We had settled into the woods just a short walk from the banks of a large river. There were deer and wolves and fish aplenty. It was the perfect place to settle. As fate would have it, our enemy clan settled in those same woods on the other side of the river.

There were several tribes like ours, moving slowly across Europe in search of hospitable land to settle. Clan Skywalker was the largest and strongest. Clan Kenobi was closest to ours in size and power. Old Man Kenobi, as he was known then, had been a dear friend of Anakin’s until some unknown falling out many years before my Mother was born. Our clans were embroiled in a bitter rivalry. 

I remember every single detail about the first time I saw her. Such a cliché, I know, but no less true. I had been on a hunt and had strayed far from camp when an injured deer had bolted deep into the woods. I lost track of the deer, and found myself standing near the riverbank staring at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in the water. She was naked, and standing up to her waist in the water. Her long brown hair was carefully arranged to hide her breasts. In her hand she held a long pointed stick. I watched, quietly hidden behind a tree as she artfully stabbed the spear into the water and came up with a fish attached to the other end. I remember the look of triumph on her face as she celebrated her catch.

I leaned forward and a twig snapped under my foot. The sound echoed in the forest. She froze then turned her eyes to the riverbank, scanning. I saw fear in her eyes when she found me. She started slowly backing up. I don’t know why I stepped forward. Some uncontrollable force moved me toward her. I held up both of my hands in a sign of peace and moved closer to the bank. She pointed her stick toward me and growled. I ceased my movements and she turned and bolted for the river bank, stopping only to grab her leather and fur coverings. She ran off into the woods without looking back. 

I was probably close to thirty years of age by this time. I had not yet procreated. Customs like marriage and mating were not common in those days. It was expected for all women to produce as many children as possible with multiple partners. There were occasional couples, such as my parents, that practiced monogamy. I can’t really explain why I had never chosen a woman. I was busy learning to fight and hunt. I was learning to be a leader. Perhaps I was waiting for Kira.

Kira, daughter of Old Man Kenobi. The old fool had too many children to keep track of. He let them run amok alone in the wilds with little skills and no protection. Women of the time were typically sturdy and strong. It was unusual for one to be so small. My angel, my Kira looked so delicate. I would never have let her be alone if she were mine to protect. I felt a strong desire to throw her over my shoulder and drag her back to my tent and fill her with my seed. I had never felt this way for a woman before. 

I became a man obsessed. I went back to the river every day for weeks, looking, waiting, hoping to catch another glimpse of her.

One unseasonably warm afternoon, I stripped off my upper coverings and sat in the sun on the river bank, enjoying the warmth of the rays on my bare torso. I leaned against a tree and drifted off to sleep, unaware that I was being watched by a figure on the opposite bank. 

I was awakened by a sharp jab in my ribs. Jolting up, I found myself staring into the hazel eyes of Kira. She prodded me again with the stick, which I easily batted away. Language existed then, although very rudimentary and each clan had its own spoken language. She mostly spoke in gestures. I supposed she had determined me not to be a threat. She sat down on her knees in front of me and pointed to her chest.

“Kira.” She said in a soft voice.

“Kylo.” I tapped my own chest.

“Ky-lo” She whispered back to me. I nodded. Her sweet smile gave me life.

She turned and grabbed a small leather pouch, producing a fish from inside. She held it up to me, an offering. I took the fish from her hands and she promptly scurried away.

After that, she met me every day at the river. We taught each other words in our clan languages. She taught me how to fish and I taught her how to hunt deer. Every day I would ask her to come home with me, and every day she would refuse. She worried about her father’s disapproval. Her worry did not prevent her from making love to me often on the banks of the river. 

My frequent absence from camp had attracted the attention of more than one person. One afternoon, Uncle Luke materialized out of the woods as Kira and I were dressing after an especially vigorous session of lovemaking. Kira had finally agreed to come home with me. She was mine.

“You should stop seeing this woman. You will bring danger to our clan.” Luke gestured to Kira. I stepped in front of her, shielding her from Luke’s scrutiny.

“She is mine, now. I have claimed her. She belongs to Clan Skywalker from this day forward.” I dared Luke to challenge me but I knew he would not. 

“This isn’t going to go the way you think.” He muttered, turning his back and disappearing into the woods.

That evening, I brought Kira back to our camp. My Mother looked at me with raised eyebrows but made no comment as I ushered Kira into my tent. Many had seen us enter the camp together, our fingers laced in a familiar way. If anyone questioned my decision to pair with a Kenobi, there were no vocalized protests. We were not to have even an hour’s peace before shouts pulled us from our tent. Kira hung back, hiding behind the tent flaps, afraid to face her father.

Old Man Kenobi had emerged from the woods with a small band of his warriors. “Where is she? Where is my daughter?” He spoke the language of Clan Skywalker flawlessly.

“She no longer belongs to you, Old Man. She is now under my protection and the protection of Clan Skywalker.” I quickly calculated that I could single handedly kill the warriors if necessary. Several of my own men stepped forward to support me.

“My daughter will never be with a Skywalker!” Old Man Kenobi hissed. He raised his staff high into the air. For a moment I thought he would strike me with it. I was half his age. Much stronger and faster. I did not fear this man. “By the power of the Dark Gods, I curse you! May you only know suffering! May you live to see everything you love die! May you never know rest! May you roam the earth as a tortured soul for eternity!” He struck the ground with his staff. Lightning and thunder began around us, shaking the ground. A soft cold rain began to fall. 

Both tribes stood staring at each other, each daring the other to attack first. 

“Is that all, Old Man? A curse of the Gods?” I laughed and so did many of my clan. “I’m not afraid.”

“You will be.” He said quietly before turning to disappear into the forest. 

I remember thinking it was strange that he left his daughter behind with so little effort to recover her. A flash of anger filled me. He should have tried harder to save his daughter. A curse of the Gods? Fuck the Gods. And fuck Clan Kenobi. Kira was mine now and forever. Nothing would come between us.

I slipped back into my tent, into the loving arms of my sweet Kira. We curled together under a fur blanket, our limbs tangled. That night I was plagued by dreams of monsters and blood and screaming. I woke shivering but covered in sweat. My body was in terrible agony. I writhed and cried out. I was so incredibly thirsty. My sweet Kira lovingly wiped the sweat from my brow, her face looking at me with concern. My eyes locked onto the vessels pulsing in the side of her neck. I grabbed both of her upper arms and pulled her towards me. I was being rough, she cried out in pain and surprise. She didn’t struggle. My sweet, innocent Kira trusted me.

“Kylo?” She asked, her voice quavering.

I groaned in pain as my fangs descended for the first time. Kira’s eyes were widened in fear. She was paralyzed like a frightened little rabbit. I sank my fangs into her neck. She struggled then, but she was so much weaker than me. I couldn’t stop myself. I was so thirsty and she was so delicious. I drank until her struggles became weak and stopped. I could hear the heartbeat in her chest, fast at first and then slower, slower. I knew she was dying and yet I still couldn’t stop. The thirst never stopped, in fact it grew. The more I took, the more I wanted. By the time I pulled myself away from her, there was a faint blue coloring to her skin. I had drained every drop of her blood. 

I cradled her body in my arms and rocked back and forth, sobbing hysterically. The Old Man’s curse had damned us both.

I had become a monster.

***

“He cursed you because you were in love with his daughter?” It was like Romeo and Juliet but thousands of years before Shakespeare even existed. I would pity him if I thought he had any humanity left in him. He had been a monster much longer than he had been a man.

I can’t wrap my head around the idea that he’s at least ten thousand years old. After he finishes telling me his complicated history with the Kenobi family I can’t help but think there are a lot of details that he’s leaving out. I’m not sure what kind of reaction to have. Is he going to blame me for the mistakes of one of my ancestors from  _ ten thousand years ago _ ? 

He just stares at me in a calm and quiet way, not blinking. He’s studying me, looking for weaknesses I suppose, or trying to gauge my reaction. Or maybe he’s fantasizing about draining more of my blood. I back up slowly, bumping into the display counter.

“You look like her.” He muses, tilting his head slightly to the side.

I don’t know what to do with that information. Everything inside me is screaming _ DANGER!  _ I consider bolting, and he must sense it. He doesn’t give me the opportunity to flee. Ben lunges forward with incredible speed and has me pulled into his chest before I can even squeak in surprise. My arms become trapped between us. I prepare myself for the fangs, but instead of biting me, he rips off my face mask and crushes his lips to mine in a searing kiss. I think about fighting him, but I figure I can probably put up with this as long as his fangs stay where they are. 

His lips are so soft and - God dammit - I find myself kissing him back with equal intensity. Instead of pushing him away, my hands have betrayed me and are clutching his shirt to pull him closer. I slip my tongue into his mouth and curiosity has me gently prodding his fangs with the tip of my tongue. He groans and gently bites down on my tongue. A coppery tang fills my mouth and I start to panic. 

I try to pull back but he locks on to me with his arms like a vice. His normally calm demeanor becomes frenzied. He sucks on my tongue to the point where I’m having difficulty breathing. I bang my fists on his chest to get his attention and he completely ignores my struggles. I’m sure ten thousand years of struggling victims has him immune to any resistance. I do the only thing I can think of to get his attention. I bite down on his lip, hard enough to draw his blood. 

Some of his blood trickles into my mouth and I make a conscious effort not to swallow any of it. At least I try not to. It’s not the coppery taste that I am expecting. It tastes like fucking honey. Mana from the Gods. He pulls away from the kiss and I find myself leaning in to lick his lips. He shudders and moans and I can’t stop myself. I grab both sides of his face and run my tongue over his bloody lip.

He comes to his senses way before I do and pushes me away. He shakes his head and takes a few steps back.

“No. You can’t. If you have too much…” He shakes his head again and runs his fingers through his hair. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he looked scared. Although, I’m not really sure if a ten thousand year old vampire actually gets scared of anything. 

In a flash, he’s gone. It happens so fast that my eyes can’t process it. The little chime on the door is the only indication I have that he has left. 

I stand alone behind the counter wiping blood off my lips with my tongue. His. Mine. 

Jesus. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I was not expecting that. Not at all. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags were updated. Read them now. Proceed with caution.

For reasons I can’t quite rationalize, I decide to stay at the bakery and finish making the dough for tomorrow. Keeping my hands busy keeps me from absolutely freaking out. Ben never comes back and I can’t stop thinking about what just happened. I can’t deny that I’m maybe a little bit attracted to Ben. Or Kylo. Whatever his name is. When was the last time somebody kissed me like that? And he certainly tasted delicious. That’s the wrong word. I need a word stronger than delicious. Delectable? Irresistible? Heavenly? 

What would happen if I had more of his blood? Would I become like him? That is something I absolutely want to avoid at all costs. Immortality has no appeal to me, even if I get to spend it with someone as handsome as Ben. 

I have to keep shaking my head to stop these thoughts. This is not a good idea. A human can't be with a vampire. How would that even work? I’m pretty sure he’s toying with me anyway. I can’t figure out what kind of game he’s playing. I’ll probably figure it out when it’s too late. Like when he drains all my blood the way he did to Kira. He’s probably going to kill me because I’m a Kenobi.

My walk home is quiet and cold. I keep expecting Ben to pop out of the shadows and attack me. I make sure the deadbolt is turned as soon as I step inside. I’m not sure why I bother. He got in here before without any trouble. Uneasiness bubbles in the pit of my stomach and I wonder if he’s here now, hiding. 

The thought plagues me and I can’t relax until I search the house. I need a weapon. What can I use that might actually hurt him? My eyes settle on the broom in my kitchen. I pick it up and snap the handle over my thigh. Ouch. The end looks really jagged and splintery. Sharp enough to do some damage. I tightly grip my makeshift stake. If it doesn’t kill him, it might at least slow him down enough to allow me to escape. Assuming, of course, that I’m even fast enough to stab him with it. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. The alternative is being bitten by a vampire who probably wants me dead.

I sweep the house, room by room, looking under beds and in closets brandishing the broom handle in front of me like a sword. Probably look like a crazy person. Most definitely look like a crazy person. I make sure every window is closed and locked. He’s not here. I sigh and relax my shoulders. Maybe he will leave me alone from now on? Silly thought.

I set the broken broom handle down on the kitchen countertop as I dig around in my refrigerator in search of something to eat. Nothing looks good tonight. Leftover Chinese food from . . . three nights ago? Sniffing the contents of the container, I decide not to chance it. I turn to the trash to throw the container away.

The broom handle is gone. I know I set it on the countertop. A sick feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. He’s here.

“Were you going to stab me with this?” His soft voice is right beside my ear. 

I shriek and turn around, dropping the Chinese food. The carton hits the floor and pops open, splattering its contents everywhere. 

He’s standing inches away from me, with the broom handle in one hand and a grocery bag in his other. 

I open my mouth in a little O shape of terror and no sound comes out. I’m dead. He’s going to be pissed that I was going to stab him. A thousand thoughts are going through my head and the only thing I manage to stutter out is, “How did you get in my house?” 

He ignores my question. As he steps over the mess on the floor he teases, “This probably would have been easier to clean up if you hadn’t broken the broom.” He puts the groceries on the counter and bends to scoop up the mess on the floor. I stand there watching him. Maybe if I stay perfectly still, I will blend into the background and he won’t notice me. That works for animals in the wild, right? No? 

He cleans up the mess then begins unpacking the contents of his grocery bag. It looks like two take out containers and a bottle of wine. My eyes drift to the countertop where he set the broom handle. It’s right next to him. I’ll never be able to grab it now. He finds two wine glasses in my cabinets and a corkscrew. I’m still frozen. I don’t know what to do. What am I supposed to do???

“You very clearly need this.” He says as he extends an overly full glass of red wine. It looks like he’s poured half the bottle in there. I slowly reach my hand out and accept the glass. 

I guess I’ll just play along and see if I can figure out what he’s up to. He’s being oddly nice to me right now. My stomach growls as he opens the take out containers. I recognize the smell immediately. It's seafood pasta from my favorite restaurant. How did he know my favorite meal? He dumps the contents onto two plates and looks around in my drawers until he locates the silverware. 

“Eat.” He says, pushing a plate across the counter in my direction. I watch as he takes a large bite of the pasta, slurping the noodles down.

“You eat food?” Maybe small talk will help me figure out what he really wants from me.

“Yes, occasionally. Although I don’t need to. I indulge when I find something I enjoy.” He takes a large sip of wine and then licks his lips. I unconsciously clench my thighs together. I don’t think he’s talking about pasta.

Stabbing a scallop with my fork, I pop it in my mouth and savor the flavor. The cheese and wine sauce is absolutely perfect. I’ve tried replicating the sauce before and haven’t been able to perfect it yet. For a minute I forget what’s really going on. It’s almost like two people on a first date making awkward small talk. I look over to Ben and he’s giving me his predator stare, which I try to ignore. 

We stand there for a few minutes, leaning against my countertops eating. There’s a dining table just a few feet away but neither of us moves towards it. I want to sit because I’ve been on my feet all day but that would mean turning my back to him and I’m not doing that. I have a feeling his fangs are going to be in me again the first chance he gets. I should just ask him.  _ Ask him. Ask him. Ask him _ . I’m pepping myself up for whatever the answer is. What if I ask him and he bites me  _ because _ I ask him? I finally tap into my courage.

“Are you going to kill me?” I’m nervously clutching the stem of my wine glass, afraid to meet his eyes.

He takes a while to answer, as if he is considering several possibilities. It does not make me feel very good at all. I guzzle the wine remaining in my glass and raise my eyes to meet his.

“No. I’m not going to kill you. I need you alive. I have a theory that I’d like to test.” 

“What theory?” I say it with an exhale of my breath. I feel like a death row prisoner waiting for execution. Dead girl walking.

“I think if a Kenobi cursed me, then a Kenobi can uncurse me.” 

“You want to break the curse?” This is . . . very unexpected. That can’t be right. Why would an immortal being want to become a human again? He can do anything he wants without consequence. Why give up all that power? Human nature is to strive for more power, not less. 

“Yes.”

“Why? You’re immortal and invulnerable and fast and strong and --.”

“I’m tired.” He interrupts. His voice suddenly sounds like it. Or maybe it always sounded like it and I just hadn’t noticed until now. 

“Tired?” Could a vampire be tired?

  
  
“I haven’t slept in ten thousand years. I can’t turn off my thoughts. I remember every detail of every single day since the curse. My mind is never at rest and I am so tired. I just want to sleep.”

“And . . . how exactly do you think I can help you?” Another question that I probably don’t want the answer to.

“There’s magic in the Kenobi line. It’s within you even if you can’t sense it.”

“Magic?” I try to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. I don’t want to piss him off but frankly this is ridiculous. “I don’t have any magical abilities.”

“We’ll see. I have a feeling once we are back at your family’s ancestral home you will feel differently.” His tone has a prickliness to it. I can tell my questions are starting to irritate him. 

“Ancestral home?” This is news to me. As far as I know, I’m the last Kenobi and I don’t remember having any relatives with an ancestral home. Maybe it’s a mansion that I can move into. A girl can dream.

“In Greece.”

“Greece? I’m not going to Greece. I don’t even have a passport.” And it’s a pandemic and there’s like zero chance that I’m getting on a commercial airline right now. And I have no desire to travel with a vampire. And a million other reasons not to go. 

“Not important. I have a private jet. Nobody will stop us if we have to cross any international borders. I can be very persuasive.”

“No. I have things to do here. People rely on me. Leia needs me to run the bakery. I have bills to pay. I can’t just drop everything and fly to Greece with a sexy vampire just because he says so.” 

There’s a noticeable change in the air. I shiver as his lip curves up at one corner. Shit, I should not have called him sexy. That was the wine talking. Of course he takes that as a green light. He grabs the empty wine glass from my hand and sets it down on the countertop. He wraps me in one arm and pulls me into his chest. I don’t think my feet are even touching the floor. He runs his nose along the side of my neck. Jesus. Now he’s going to bite me again all because I can’t keep my mouth shut. Some little embarrassing whiny noise comes out of my mouth before I can stop it.

“Shhh. Don’t struggle, Little Rabbit. I need you to help me. If you help me, I’ll help you.” I’m contemplating exactly what kind of help he thinks he can offer me when I realize his fingers are undoing the top button of my jeans. Oh. Oooh. Shit.

“No.” I push on his chest and it has no effect on him. “I don’t need any of your _ help _ .”

“Are you sure?” He steers me backward so that my ass hits the kitchen island. I squeal as he tugs my jeans and underwear down to my knees and lifts me onto the edge of the island. The island is a little lower than the countertops and it’s the perfect height to line up our bodies. Danger, danger, danger. 

“Ben, this isn’t a good idea-- ah!” I cry out as his finger slips inside me. He uses his other hand to push me down so I’m laying flat on the island. 

“I think it’s a  _ fantastic  _ idea. You want me to fuck you senseless right here in your kitchen. Earlier you came on my tongue so easily. I think it was less than two minutes. Has it been a long time for you, Little Rabbit?” He begins to slowly pump his finger in and out. I’m already wet and shaking. At least he isn’t making any comments about that. It _ has _ been a long time and I’ve been so lonely. How bad is it to just give in? It’s not like my struggling would make a difference anyway.

“Yes.” I whisper it so quietly. Almost inaudible. He hears it of course. He could have heard it a mile away.

“Yes, what?” He adds a second finger and I moan and buck my hips up.

“Please. I can’t-- I need -- I need to come.” I know I’m babbling and I can’t believe I’m begging now. I feel a faint twitching and contracting of my muscles. I’ve been so pent up over the past few months that it’s not going to take much to get me over the edge. But it’s  _ him _ and I shouldn’t want this. Shouldn’t want him. Maybe I can pretend he’s someone else.

He chuckles and pulls his fingers out. Confusion spreads across my face. “You don’t get to come until you agree to help me, Little Rabbit.”

Help him do what? I swear my brain is full of fuzz when I’m around him. Oh right, help him remove his curse. With my imaginary familial magical powers. Sure I can do that. Whatever. I mutter a quick agreement. Whatever it takes to get a damn orgasm. I hear the metallic clinking of his belt and hear his pants hit the floor. 

“After I finish fucking you, we are boarding my private jet. You’re coming with me to Greece.” He takes himself in hand and runs the tip of his cock through my folds, teasing me.

“I’ll help you but I’m not leaving the freaking country.” I gasp it out as the tip of his cock breaches my entrance. 

“We’ll see about that.” He buries himself inside me with one sharp thrust of his hips. I cry out at the feeling of fullness. There’s a brief flash of pain as I’m impaled on his cock. I barely have time to adjust before he hooks an arm under one of my legs and lifts it to deepen the angle. I choke out a strangled cry as he hits a place deep within me that sends electricity through my whole body. 

He sets a pace that is both punishing and glorious. I forget where I am and who I’m with. I just surrender to the feeling of being stuffed full of his cock. His finger reaches down and he rubs circles on my clit. It’s exactly what I need to send me over the edge. My fingernails dig into his biceps as a ripple of electricity runs through my body. I grit my teeth and silently scream through my orgasm. I’m not giving him the satisfaction of hearing me scream out his name. Because I don’t want him. I don’t. I shouldn’t. Right?

He pulls out as he comes, spilling all over my inner thigh. He collapses on top of me, planting kisses along my neck.

“Oh Kira.” He murmurs into my hair. 

_ I’m not her. I’m not her! _ I try to push him back and fail. I know what’s coming next and I do not agree to be bitten again. Please don’t. Please don’t. The sharp sting of his fangs radiates down my neck. I’m too worn out to resist. 

My head falls to the side and I see it sitting there on the countertop, just within reach. My broom handle. I extend my hand weakly. He doesn’t notice me reaching for it. I almost cry in relief as my fingers wrap around the handle. I channel all of my energy and stab at Ben’s torso, burying the handle only about two inches deep into his stomach, just below his ribcage. Hmm. It’s harder to stab someone than I imagined. TV always makes it look so easy.

He pulls away from me with a howl of pain and fury. I scream as his fangs rip my flesh on the way out. I can see my blood spurting out from my own neck. Oh my fucking God. He must have torn an artery or something. I’m going to die!

“Oh Little Rabbit, I wish you hadn’t done that. Look what you made me do.” He has the tone of a disappointed kindergarten teacher. I feel myself getting weaker. I see Ben pull the broom handle out of his stomach and throw it across the room. The gaping hole in his stomach closes almost immediately. He bites his own wrist and shoves it into my mouth. 

  
No. Nonononono. I don’t want to be a vampire. I’d rather die. I twist my head to the side but his painful grip forces my mouth open. I gag and choke as his honey blood fills my mouth. I swallow some of it. A lot of it? My head hurts so bad. Worse than my neck. What’s happening to me? A fog fills my head and pushes all the pain away. My neck doesn’t hurt anymore. I feel lighter. And sleepy.

“Go to sleep, Little Rabbit. Everything will be better when you wake up.” He runs his fingers lovingly across my temple and plants a kiss there. 

Sleep? Okay. If you say so. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my other works!  
> Completed - Ten Wise Jedi - Agatha Christie Style murder mystery  
> Completed - The Neighborhood - FBI Agents Ben & Rey. X-Files vibes   
> WIP - Flight #923 - Super creepy story about a plane crash on a tropical island. Time loop story.  
> WIP - Valley of the Dead - Historical AU with Egyptologist Ben Solo, thief Rey and a mummy!  
> WIP - You Imagine and Ocean - Pirate Ben Solo


	5. Chapter 5

A soft humming noise greets me as I slowly wake up. Am I in a car? I open my eyes. Oh crap. It’s a jet engine. I’m in an airplane, laying on a leather couch, covered in a soft blanket. The small interior of the cabin is super fancy. I’ve never been on an airplane this nice before. I bolt up out of the seat, tripping as my legs tangle in the blanket and dash to the window. Clouds are all I can see. We could be anywhere. 

“We have about three hours to go until we land. You’ve been out longer than I anticipated.” His voice in my ear causes me to jump. I hate how he always appears behind me.

“You kidnapped me, you asshole!” I ball my fingers into a fist and take a swing at Ben. I know the punch has absolutely zero percent change of landing. He calmly catches my fist in his hand. We stand there for a few seconds staring at each other before he releases my fist and shrugs. 

“You agreed to help me.” 

Technically, that’s correct.

“I told you I didn’t want to leave the country.” My voice cracks a little. I’m very angry and I usually cry when I get angry. I feel tears building up. I have to close my eyes and take a deep breath. DO NOT CRY. He will think I’m weak. I’m saved by the fact that he changes the subject.

“You look good in my jacket.” He traces my collarbone with a fingertip.

I look down, confused. I’m wearing a long white sundress and Ben’s leather jacket. The jacket is crazy large on me but he apparently thinks it looks good. I don’t own any white sundresses so I wonder where the heck he got it. Maybe he keeps women’s clothes stocked on his jet? That would be weird. I’m again irritated that he felt the need to change my clothing without my permission but the dress is super pretty so I’m not going to complain too much. I can tell I’m not wearing a bra. I better have underwear on.

“There wasn’t time to pack a bag for you but I’ve called ahead and my staff will have everything ready for you when we arrive at Varykino.”

“Varykino? What’s that? I thought we were going to the Kenobi family home in Greece?”

“We will eventually. I’m not exactly welcome on Kenobi property so we will have to sneak in under the cover of darkness. It might take a day or two to plan. Varykino is my family’s island.”

“Your family owns a whole Greek island? Of course it does.” I’m sure that his family owns a lot of property scattered across the globe. It’s one of the perks of being ten thousand years old.

I memorize the interior of the cabin. It would seem that I’m trapped here, at least until we land. My only way out is to open the door and jump out but somehow I doubt Ben would let me get that far. I’ll just play nice for a few more hours and then try to figure out a way home on my own. Maybe I can try to borrow a phone and call Leia. This, of course, is assuming that he lets me out of his sight. 

I walk back to the couch and sink down, pulling my knees up to my chest. “So, what? I’m your prisoner now?”

  
Ben slinks over and sits next to me, wrapping an arm around me. “Of course not. You are my guest.” He laughs to himself and then his face turns serious. “How is your head?”

I had almost forgotten. He bit me. I stabbed him. My hand flies up to my neck, which feels totally normal. I don’t feel anything at all. And my head? Fine. Normal. 

“Your blood healed me?” I ask quietly. He nods. I need an answer to my next question, but I don’t really want to ask it. “Will I turn into a vampire now?”

He gives me a small, sad smile. “No. That’s just a myth. I can’t make others.”

“Then why do you seem concerned about my head?”

“My blood is very potent. In small amounts, it will heal wounds. Too much would kill you. It’s a very fine line. Sometimes I get it wrong.” He shrugs as if it’s nothing. He’s got to stop doing that. It’s irritating. A little oopsie with the amount of blood and I die? That’s a big deal to me!

“Your blood tastes like honey.” I mutter. An involuntary shudder ripples through my body and I pull the leather coat tighter around me. At least I don’t have to worry about him turning me into a vampire. Now I just have to worry that he might accidentally kill me.

“Yes. My blood is a most delicious poison.” 

“But you're not the only vampire?”

“There are others.”

“So who made them?”

Ben gives me a blank look. “Old Man Kenobi.”

“How do you know?”

“He told me. You can ask him yourself before you kill him.”

“What now? No. I’m not killing anybody. Is he a vampire too?”

“No, he’s not a vampire. His own curse backfired on him. The Dark Gods he invoked to curse me thought it would be fun to curse two souls instead of one. The Gods are funny like that. Anyway, he also has eternal life and he is tormented by  _ me _ . I have spent a very long time following him around and killing everything he loves. He has created other vampires to try and stop me. It never works. I’ve lost track of him though. It’s been at least fifty years since I’ve seen him.”

“Maybe he died?” 

“No. I would know. I think-” He breaks off and shakes his head.

“Think what?”

“I think that my curse will be lifted when he dies.”

“And you need  _ me _ to kill him?”

“Yes, I can’t kill him and he can’t kill me. Another one of those fun little things the Dark Gods decided to add to our curse.”

“What about your mother? Is she a vampire?” 

“Leia? She’s something else. She is a very powerful witch. A servant of the moon. She’s…. She pledged her soul to the Moon Goddess. The Goddess grants her eternal life as long as I live. She foolishly pledged to watch me and keep me from killing too many humans. The spell required that three souls be pledged to the Goddess’ service in return for immortality. My father and uncle were the other two souls. They take turns following me around and getting in my way. This century belongs to Uncle Luke. I’m sure he’s on his way to Greece as well. He is always just a step behind me.”

“I feel like you’re leaving a lot of important details out of this story.” 

“I’ll tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it.” 

There’s a sinking feeling after he says that. There’s clearly some important elements that he’s not trusting me with. How am I supposed to break a curse if I don’t know all the details?   
  


“So there’s more to the story.” I make it a statement and not a question.

“Of course.” 

Infuriating. He’s fucking infuriating. Maybe I can appeal to the tiny spark of humanity that must still lie deep inside his soul.

“You know that I can’t help you kill someone, right? I just can’t do it. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Everyone is that kind of person.”

“Not me.”

  
“We’ll see.” He waves his fingers in the air dismissively. 

We’ll see indeed. I stand up and pace around in the cabin. Ben watches me calmly from the couch. 

“Let’s pretend for a minute that I agree to help you. We need boundaries in place. I want to set some ground rules for this little . . . expedition.”

His eyebrows raise but he doesn’t interrupt me. He gestures with his hand for me to continue.

“You don’t bite me without my permission. You don’t touch me without my permission. If I decide to help you kill Old Man Kenobi, I will decide how and when. And I want a phone. I want to talk to Leia.”

“No.”

“No to which of those?”

“No to all of those.”

“Ok. Then I’ll go tell the pilot to take me home.” I know as soon as the words are out of my mouth that I have pushed the wrong buttons. There’s a tiny twitch above his right eye. It doesn’t stop me from moving toward the cockpit.

I don’t even get to take a full step before I’m wrapped up in his arms. Our fronts are pressed together and he yanks on my hair to pull my head back so that I have no choice but to look into his eyes. There’s no humanity in those dark orbs, just my own image reflected back at me. Fear rises from the pit of my stomach, like a tangible thing. I almost feel ill.

“If I want to bite you, I will.” He leans in and licks a strip along my neck. I can feel his fangs lightly grazing my skin. He doesn’t bite me. Why doesn’t he bite me? I don’t have long to wonder.

“If I want to touch you, I will.” He yanks up the bottom hem of my dress and roughly grips my upper thigh. His fingers graze the edge of my panties. 

Whatever’s about to happen is probably my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed his buttons. I should just shut up and play along.

“You will kill whoever I tell you to kill. You will leave my Mother out of it.” His grip eases and he pushes me down on the couch.

“Now be a good little rabbit and relax. We’ll be landing soon.” He covers me over with the blanket and heads toward the cockpit.

I stay there, frozen in place on the couch, clutching the little blanket like a frightened child. I keep forgetting how much of a monster he is. I’m in a lot of trouble, aren’t I?

\---

I watch from the window as a small chain of islands appears beneath us. The water is a beautiful blue. It looks like the pictures of Greece from a magazine or something from a movie. The island we land on is rocky. I press my face to the window as the plane taxis on the runway by the water. There’s no airport, just a private landing strip. As we step down the ramp, Ben takes my arm. My eyes drift to a large white estate that juts out from the side of the cliff. I was expecting marble but it looks more like white plastered stone. There are balconies and a pier and the building is so large that I can’t see all of it from here.

Why would he ever leave this place? It looks like paradise. The weather is perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. I have no idea what time of day it is. Late afternoon, judging by the sun.

It’s quiet here. I don’t see anyone, other than the pilot and flight attendant. For a minute, I imagine what it would be like to spend an eternity with Ben, here on this island. Maybe I could learn to be happy with him and keep him out of trouble. But, that’s not an option. He’s a monster. I’m a nobody. There is no future for us. 

There’s a large canopy of grapevines on a trellis above us. They probably make their own wine here. Isn’t that something that rich people do? I could really use a drink right about now. Something to dull the panic that’s been rising since I woke up kidnapped.

We are walking down a stone path towards the estate when Ben’s phone rings. 

“Hello, Mother.”

My ears perk up. I feel like screaming to Leia for help. Ben shoots me a look that says  _ Don’t you dare _ . It’s like he knows what I’m thinking. I can hear her yelling at him, but I can’t make out what she’s saying. He doesn’t seem vexed by the yelling. 

“Well Mother, you were the one who was hiding a Kenobi from me for almost a year. What did you think was going to happen? Did you think I was going to behave? Did you think because she looks like Kira that my heart would somehow be healed and I would learn to love and be human again? Did you think I wouldn’t try to use her to kill him?”

The voice on the other end gets softer. I really hope that she can convince him to give up whatever foolish plan he has in store for us. But, she’s had ten thousand years to bring him back to the light and has yet to accomplish it.

Maybe it’s all up to me. Maybe I can save him. Heal him. Break the curse. Or, maybe I’m just out of my fucking mind. 

See what I just did? I almost forgot he was a monster again. 

Ben sighs dramatically and thrusts his phone into my hand.

“She wants to talk to you.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gentle reminder that Ben/Kylo is a bad guy who does bad things in this story. I'm sure that's why you are here, but please make sure you have read the tags. Enjoy.

“Hello?” I ask hesitantly. I clutch the phone so tightly that I wonder if I might break it. I don’t know what to say. I’m sure he will be able to hear everything Leia tells me. There’s no point in whispering or trying to be discrete. 

“Rey.” Leia’s voice is sharp and tinged with panic. “Thank the Gods! Listen, help is on the way. Don’t believe anything my son tells you. Don’t do anything stupid. I can--”

She is cut off when Ben grabs the phone back, “Ok, Mother dearest. That’s quite enough.” He ends the call and tucks the phone into his pants pocket. He mutters something about meddlesome mothers but I’m not really listening.

A little corner of the phone is sticking out of his pants pocket. Maybe I could grab it? Would he notice if I grabbed it? Yes? Probably. What if I caused a distraction and then grabbed it? Yes. That could work. My mind is churning with possible ways to divert his attention, when my own clumsiness intervenes on my behalf. I step wrong on the cobblestones and my ankle twists painfully to the side, pitching me forward toward the ground.

Ben, of course, catches me before I come in contact with the ground. Those vampire reflexes really can’t be beat. As he’s pulling me upright again, I pluck his phone out of his pants pocket and hide it in his leather jacket that I’m still wearing. I whisper a silent thank you to the god of clumsiness.

“Must be the jetlag.” I mumble as he wraps a protective arm around me.

“I was going to offer you some of Varykino’s finest wine, but I think we should get you to your room for a rest. Or would you like a bath?” He’s acting shockingly pleasant. He doesn’t seem at all worried about Leia’s call or the help that she mentioned was on the way.

I nod, “A bath would be nice.” And maybe I will have enough privacy to call Leia back before he inevitably discovers his missing phone. 

I’m going to get caught. I know it. It’s a fact. I just can’t stop myself at this point. I’m committed to the act. I have to see it through. I have to try. 

Unease bubbles in my stomach. When Leia told me not to do anything stupid, was this what she meant? Too late to worry about that now.

I allow Ben to escort me into Varykino. As far as family estates go, it’s the largest I have ever seen. It might as well be a palace. It’s bright and open and clean. In other words, Varykino is the opposite of what I would expect from a vampire. It’s a far cry from Dracula’s castle. It seems like every room has a terrace or balcony or view of the water. 

At the end of a very long corridor, he pushes through a set of double doors and into a bedroom that is larger than my entire house. In the center of the room is a canopy bed. There’s a balcony, with the doors open. A gentle breeze ruffles the sheer material draped across the canopy. 

“Make yourself at home. The wardrobe over there should have several options that should suit you. The bathroom is through there and is fully stocked with anything you require.” Ben steps up behind me and peels his leather jacket off of me, planting a kiss on my neck.

My pulse is racing. Can he tell? I’m trying to keep my breathing regulated but as it turns out, I’m a terrible liar. The hammering of my own pulse is probably giving me away.

He tosses the jacket on the bed and turns to look out over the balcony. 

I stand in place, a few feet away from the bed, eyeing his jacket. If I try to get the phone out right now, he will see me.

“How about I draw you that bath?” He turns and smiles at me. I plaster a smile on my face and nod. 

As soon as he turns to the bathroom, I wait until I can hear the sound of water turning on before I dive to the bed and frantically search the pockets of his jacket. Hurry. I need to hurry. I’ll just stash it under the pillow or something. Where is it? Hurryhurryhurry. If he catches me I’m in a lot of trouble.

The pockets are empty.

I hear his footsteps and jump away from the bed. I don’t know why I bother. He knows. He probably knew the second I grabbed it. He’s toying with me now. He probably wanted me to try and steal his phone. It was a trap that I walked right into. Stupid. I’m so fucking stupid.

He emerges from the bathroom and leans against the doorframe as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Is there a problem, little rabbit?” His tone is a challenge.

“No. No problem at all.” I am as breezy as I can be in my current state of panic. 

“Good. I would hate for us to have any more incidents.” He produces his phone from his pants pocket and begins typing away. He turns to leave the bedroom. “Enjoy your bath,” he calls over his shoulder on the way out.

I’m frozen in place, like the scared little rabbit he always says I am. By the time my fear subsides, he is long gone and the bath water has turned lukewarm. I sink into the tub up to my neck and close my eyes. 

I guess I’ve wasted the chance to steal his phone and call for help. I suppose I’m lucky he didn’t hurt me. There has to be some other way out of this, but what? I don’t even have a passport so if I manage to get to an airport I wouldn’t be able to leave. Maybe I could get to the American Embassy? I wonder where the hell that is in Greece.

I need to think of a new plan. Think. Think?

I need to---

***

“Darling, in case no one ever told you, it is  _ very _ dangerous to fall asleep in the bath. Something terrible might happen to you.” 

My eyes fly open. I’m not in the tub anymore. In fact, I’m not even in the bedroom anymore. I’m sitting upright in a wingback chair in front of a fireplace. There’s a soft blanket on my lap. I’m wearing another dress and my hair is draped over my shoulder in an elaborate braid. 

How the fuck did I get here? 

Ben is standing in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides.

“Am I dreaming?” I grip the arms of the chair, digging my fingernails into the brocade material. It feels real enough. Not a dream, then.

“Do you want to be?” He seems to be in a foul mood. Whatever happened after my bath, and I hope it isn’t my fault, has really set him off.

“Did you … do something to me?” My hands fly up to my neck. I don’t feel any marks. Maybe he didn’t bite me, but he definitely did something. I was in the tub . . . and then . . . here? What happened in between?

A heavy sigh from him sends shivers down my spine. “I saved you from nearly drowning in the bathtub. You’re welcome, by the way. Oh, and I also punished you for your little phone theft attempt earlier. I’ll leave you to wonder what that punishment entailed. It’s probably better that you don’t remember.” He turns away from the fire and quickly closes the distance between us.

I shrink into the back of the chair as he leans forward. His face is inches from mine. I can’t look away. My eyes fill with tears as I consider the possibilities of what he may have done. Why can’t I remember? I was in the tub and then I was here. I don’t remember. I don’t remember!

“Wha-” That’s all I can get out before a sob escapes my throat.

“Shhhhhh. Don’t fret. I don’t want to have to leave you alone in a state of total panic.” His icy fingers run along my cheek, wiping away a stray tear. 

“Alone?” I whisper. And then another sob. I really wish I could get better control over my emotions. It’s impossible with him this close. The fear is a tangible physical thing growing inside of me right now.

“I need to go out for a little bit. I’m sure you understand. Lots of exciting details to iron out so we can locate Old Man Kenobi. Don’t worry your pretty little head about anything. Just eat and relax and enjoy my library. I expect you to be sleeping soundly in my bed by the time I return. Be a good girl for me, yes?”

So much fear. But, I nod yes. Yes, I will fucking behave because I don’t want to die.

Ben pushes a serving cart toward me that is loaded with food and wine. He hands me an overly full glass of red wine. 

“This is our family’s private label. It’s a bit sweeter than I tend to like, but Mother insists that the blend is exceptional.”

I take a sip. It’s a sweet red, with hints of honey. It reminds me of his honey blood. Of course it does. 

“It’s perfect.” I whisper.

“I know, Kira.” He says before disappearing from the room.

Kira again. Why does he keep calling me that? I’m not her. He knows that, right? Reincarnation is not a thing. I look like her because of our DNA, our bloodline, not because I actually  _ am _ her. 

I can tell that a few hours have passed since my bath. The sun has set and there is a chill in the air. I’m starving and I dig into everything on the cart, reducing it to crumbs. I can honestly say that I have never eaten an olive until today. They aren’t too bad. I don’t waste time thinking about what may or may not have happened while I was unconscious. My brain literally cannot process that information right now. It was something bad. That’s all I need to know. That’s all I want to know. I manage to convince myself that not knowing is for the best.

The wine hits me hard. I’ve had several glasses. Guzzled it, really. It’s delicious. It’s whatever word means “delicious times a million.” 

At some point, I decide to peruse Ben’s library. A large portion of the works are in Greek, and therefore unreadable to me. 

“It’s all Greek to me.” I mutter aloud before laughing hysterically. I need to stop drinking.

There is a small cluster of books about witchcraft and curses and vampirism. I browse the titles, wine glass in hand, searching for something to take back to bed and read. 

In the end, I’m going to follow his instructions and be a good girl and go to bed and wait for him. I know anything less would be a really really very terribly bad idea. Defying him twice in one day, when he’s in such a foul mood, would not end well for me. Following his rules is simple self preservation.

My eyes fall to a book titled “Vampyrism: A Historie” that looks like it is centuries old. I set down my wine glass and carefully remove the book from the shelf. The book is quite large, but is suspiciously light. I hold it in my hands, confused. Something this large should weigh at least ten pounds. When I open the cover, I discover that the book is not really a book at all. The interior has been carved out and a dagger is concealed within.

“What?”

The dagger is small and clearly very old. The blade is maybe four or five inches, and the hilt fits my hand perfectly. The dagger is a dark metal, almost black and not very ornate. Really, it’s not much to look at. I pick it up and spin it around. I notice the crude symbols of a sun and moon carved into the blade near the hilt.

I know that this is not something that Ben would want me to have, and therefore I decide I will keep it. I replace the book on the shelf and grab a random classic book from the other side of the library. It’s Shakespeare. I don’t bother to look further than that. I exit the library and manage to find my way back to the bedroom. 

On my way, I don’t run into any of the staff so I don’t have to worry about hiding the dagger. I start to wonder if anyone is actually here at all. But, surely there must be. I can’t be alone here. He would never trust me by myself.

I slip the dagger under my pillow and ready myself for bed. By the time I change into a white cotton nightgown, brush my teeth and climb into bed, I am already half asleep. The volume of Shakespeare lay forgotten on the other side of the bed. 

Will I wake up to find Ben beside me? Will I wake up at all?

***

The creak of the balcony door opening jars me awake. I bolt upright and slide my hand under the pillow, reaching for the dagger I found in Ben’s library. I almost cry in relief as my fingers circle around the cold metal hilt. I know that it’s not Ben and the space beside me in the bed is empty.

“Rey Kenobi?” 

It’s an unfamiliar male voice. Is it friend or foe? 

“Who are you?” The words come out of my mouth with a hardness that surprises me. I pull the sheets up to my neck with one hand, the other still wrapped around the dagger under my pillow.

“I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.”


End file.
